ABSTRACT
The author revives interest in teaching for freedom and by connecting the topics of freedom and virtue. He begins with an account of freedom that rejects the notion of freedom as absence of constraint in the idea that freedom is an achievement for educated people. Richard Pring criticises the idea that liberal education is liberating, provides 'freedom from ignorance': liberal education tends to underestimate the importance of social context and a vocational education is liberating, as in the case of 'the craftsman who finds aesthetic delight in the object of his craft'. Pring's profound contributions to educational thought and practice lies in his critique of the false dichotomy of liberal and vocational education. The author offers a partial answer to Pring's question about the virtues: teaching for freedom involves nurturing at least the virtues of open-mindedness, truthfulness and impartiality. He identifies five challenges for teachers who take seriously the task of cultivating virtues and enabling their students to achieve freedom.
